What are stabilizers? Why are they called "natural stabilizers"?
Stabilizers are polymeric carbohydrates such as gums, fibers and starches, as well as select proteins, that can—as the term suggests—stabilize a food system. Stabilizing ingredients help minimize water migration, prevent oil from separating, improve mouthfeel, provide suspension, increase viscosity, prevent ice-crystal development and more.
Why there is a growing demand for natural stabilizers?
Most processed foods need some sort of stabilization at some point during production, transportation, storage and serving. Making Alfredo sauce from scratch is very different than warming up one that is commercially produced, where it not only goes through many different cooking and retorting steps at the plant, but also has to be shipped, warehoused and placed on the shelf for six months. And yes, the consumer expects it to look and taste like homemade when it is served. In this case, starch play role as stabilizer.
What is the typical usage level (amount) of gums in foods?
Starches are also hydrocolloids and are effective in many applications. However, typical usage levels for starches are much higher than gum usage levels. Starches are used typically in the range of 4 to 10% while gums are used from 0.1 to 1%. Gum usage is often more cost efficient than starch. Many starches tend to mask flavor and affect the flavor profile of a formulation. Therefore in product development, compensating for this flavor masking by adding greater amounts of flavor can be quite costly. ( I compare the amount of starch and gum instead of just gum....)
Proteins can also be used as food stabilizers. Give some examples.
- What are stabilizers? Why are they called "natural stabilizers"?
Stabilizers are polymeric carbohydrates such as gums, fibers and starches, as well as select proteins, that can—as the term suggests—stabilize a food system. Stabilizing ingredients help minimize water migration, prevent oil from separating, improve mouthfeel, provide suspension, increase viscosity, prevent ice-crystal development and more.- Why there is a growing demand for natural stabilizers?
Most processed foods need some sort of stabilization at some point during production, transportation, storage and serving. Making Alfredo sauce from scratch is very different than warming up one that is commercially produced, where it not only goes through many different cooking and retorting steps at the plant, but also has to be shipped, warehoused and placed on the shelf for six months. And yes, the consumer expects it to look and taste like homemade when it is served. In this case, starch play role as stabilizer.- What is the typical usage level (amount) of gums in foods?
Starches are also hydrocolloids and are effective in many applications. However, typical usage levels for starches are much higher than gum usage levels. Starches are used typically in the range of 4 to 10% while gums are used from 0.1 to 1%. Gum usage is often more cost efficient than starch. Many starches tend to mask flavor and affect the flavor profile of a formulation. Therefore in product development, compensating for this flavor masking by adding greater amounts of flavor can be quite costly. ( I compare the amount of starch and gum instead of just gum....)- Proteins can also be used as food stabilizers. Give some examples.
Gelatin,collagen